Early College Program

MKHS College & Career Center - Student Testimonies

Early College Program (ECP) History

Since 2017, our Early College Program has gone through many changes. Our first graduating cohort of students was in 2021. We had our second graduating class in 2022. These students endured 4 years of rigorous coursework, balancing both high school & college classes. Many of these students participated in extracurricular activities and sports, in addition to maintaining high academic achievement. Hear from some our amazing students below!

Class of 2022 Advice/Experience

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Karen Shieh, UC Berkeley, Computer Science

The classes are interesting, and I get to explore different topics that other students cannot. Throughout this program, I gained credits for 17 community college classes and am still working on another three.

In addition, because of this program, I discovered that a door was opening for me to take community college classes during high school, so I took extra elective classes on my own schedule. From these classes, I was able to confirm the major that I am passionate about while preparing for college-style lectures.

Through ECP classes, I was able to get a paid internship while I was in high school!

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Melissa Lu (Cal Poly Pomona, Sociology) & Megan Liu (Cal Baptist, Exercise Science)

Melissa: I stayed in ECP because all the professors I’ve encountered were nice and understanding. The classes were easier to understand compared to AP classes (with the same goals). I only need to attend the class once a week compared to the everyday schedule of an AP classes at Keppel.

Megan: I felt that I could complete the classes and I could complete the program, which motivated me to finish. I was able to manage in the past, so I believed that I could finish the program with good time management.

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Sydney Nguyen, UCLA, Pre-Psychobiology

In my freshman year, I enrolled in the Early College Program, which allowed high school students to take college courses and earn credit. However, I was unsure if I could handle it as I had not experienced high school classes nor the program’s curriculum before. As a source of motivation, I fixated on the advantages of the program and looked past my doubts.

Definitely, it is more worth it to stay than leave. I put in a lot of time and I just couldn't quit and know that I wouldn't be part of the program for 4 years. I wanted to show that I could commit and really prove myself through this program. Of course it's hard, but it'll be worth it in the end.

As one of the ten remaining seniors in the program, I take pride in my four-year commitment and resilience to keep up with the program’s rigor. With a 3.92 college GPA and 38 units completed, I am confident that with persistence I can succeed as a full-time college student.

Advice & Feedback from our 1st Graduating ECP Cohort - Class of 2021

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Zeri Ayala, Cal State Fullerton, Biochemistry

I thought it would be a good idea to get ahead as well as it allowed me to make more friends since I knew no one when I started at Keppel. The major reason I stayed in the program was because I already started it, so I just decided to finish what I started. I also stayed because the friends I made in the class ensured that the classes were not dull for us.

I think this program helps me with writing essays in the future since they will be similar in length and possibly about similar topics. I thought it was really hard to be in a sport and do these college courses because it takes a lot of time out of your day. It’s very doable, but you need to have good communication and time management for it to work out.

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Vivien Yeh, UCSD, Business Psychology

In response to the "Did you ever find ECP too hard or time consuming and wanted to quit?" question, I would say there were times I thought ECP was too hard or time consuming because I had to sacrifice a lot of time working on it even during the summer. I was unable to take summer high school courses like most students would, and would oftentimes stay up late getting all my work done. But I chose not to quit because I had faith and was determined that I could achieve my goal of earning an AA degree if I kept going. I also didn't want to quit because this program was a rare opportunity for me to get some college experience and save money.

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Patrick Villanueva, UCLA, Biology

High school and college work load are different in that the college work is more projects and group work. I managed my workload by setting up separate time to do my college coursework and high school work. I feel that this program does prepare me for the future because I know what to expect in college courses. Overall, I would say to have fun in the college classes. The teachers are cool and the classes are long so make the most of it. I feel blessed to have the opportunity to take this class

Balancing Sports/Clubs and ECP

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Michael Winn, CSUN, Business

Don't quit. There are more pros than cons to taking this program. It may be a little difficult for you, but you can keep pushing and finish the program. It will all be worth it in the end. I was in football and ECP. It was difficult because I had to budget my time between class and practice and I had to skip practice once or twice a week which I hated. I want future ECP students to look up to us as inspiration to keep pushing in the program and finish it.

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Madeline Hong, CSUN, Psychology

It was not difficult at all. I was in SkillsUSA and had meetings and practices after school but it never/ rarely interfered with any of my college classes as it is only once a week per class. If it did, the professors would always understand and made sure I got any notes or work that I missed from classmates.

Don't quit!!! It may seem hard and intimidating at the start but it gets easier and better as the semester goes by. It may feel like you are missing out on your "high school experience
" but being ahead by 2 years is definitely worth it. Also bring snacks to class! Many professors don't really care if you eat in class.

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Lawrence Shieh, UC Berkeley, Computer Science

It is a great opportunity to earn FREE college credits. I joined the badminton team while taking the college classes. Fortunately, the practice time only overlapped a bit with the classes. However, that does mean sometimes I will have to get to school at 7:30am in the morning, and leave school at 9pm.

I also want to experience what college classes are like. Some of the professors are really fun and the classes are easy. Another way of looking at this, why not stay? Its a free learning opportunity with UC transferrable credits! This program is AMAZING, highly recommend for anyone if they have the time and dedication to do well in school.

Advice for Students from Our Current Students:

This past semester, we asked students... "What advice do you have to other students who are scared to take a college credit class?" Our students said:

Don't hesitate, just take it. It is worth it. You will experience college life beforehand in order to prepare yourself for the future. Plus, you can earn free college credit, which mean you get to save money.
It's really not scary. You just have to be honest with yourself and you have to be aware of what you are capable of. Don't take a college class if you can't handle it or if you don't have time. It is only going to hurt you, when really they are meant to help you.
It’s not bad at all, you just need to balance your time efficiently if you are taking the courses during the regular school year. If you’re scared that you aren’t going to like the class or you’re scared that it’s going to be difficult, you can always drop the class without penalty.
It really isn't that much harder than a regular class you take for school, seriously. You get to meet a lot of new people, or even connect with old friends, who share the same interests as you. If you're afraid of those interactions, there's online classes available as well (this may change in the future depending on our world's circumstances). Overall, college credit classes are a great way to enhance what you already know or to add another piece of knowledge to your current brain bank.

Advantages of Dual Enrollment

Cost-Effective - Saves Money!

One of the biggest advantages to dual enrollment is the fact that it helps close the college affordability gap. AUSD & our community college partners work together to give these classes for FREE. All textbook & material fees are covered through our program. This helps reduce the amount of debt a student could potentially need to take on in order to pay for college down the road.

Credits Transfer to State Universities (UCs and CSUs)

Additionally, some private colleges within the state also will accept the credit. However, it is always important to confirm this ahead of time.

Builds Confidence

One of the benefits of dual enrollment is that students enrolled in the courses begin to view themselves as college-capable. In other words, they recognize that they have the ability to do well in a college-level course, and it builds their confidence for future college courses. Just scroll down to read our Student Testimonies!

Makes College Attainable

For many low-income, first-generation, and minority students, our program can make college more attainable for them. Not only is the program offered through their high school improving their ease of access, but it also is often fully funded by their district. For some marginalized students, dual enrollment helps make college attendance possible.

Allows Exploration

Since students are taking college courses during high school, they are able to determine whether or not they like a particular area of study without a lot of risk and cost.

As a result, a student may discover that they no longer want to pursue nursing but would rather pursue criminal justice instead.

Taking college classes in high school allows a student the opportunity to try things before they enroll full-time in a university.

Graduate Early or With a Double Major

Since students begin accumulating their college credit in high school, they often enter college with a lot of the required courses completed. Consequently, this leaves more time for electives and double majors. It also helps students graduate early if they enter college as a sophomore instead of as a freshman.

Many of our Early College Program graduates will graduate with their

Bachelor's Degree in 2-3 years!

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Contact:

Elizabeth An

CTE Advisor (College & Career Counselor)

Book an Appointment | Instagram | AUSD CTE Website

an_elizabeth@ausd.us (do not email the teachers ausd email, that is not monitored, thanks!)

Early College Program

MKHS College & Career Center - Student Testimonies